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Subzone Thanksgiving Drama

2010-01-25T00:46:00.001+08:00

Recently, the subzone did a drama for our thanksgiving and this is a part of the rehearsal done at my place. The members did not receive any professional training in acting but they put up a splendid performance during our thanksgiving which I am sure many of us enjoyed it.

Here is a small clip of the rehearsal they done at my place. Enjoy it while we get the full drama uploaded soon! :)

Merry Xmas 2009!!!

2009-12-19T01:45:00.001+08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! to all. Early greeting from me as I guess I will be too busy in the next 2 weeks to update my blog. Will be having my annual Xmas dinner cum gift exchange with my fellow church leaders and also having a party with my family.

Of course, not going to miss the awesome Xmas drama production on the eve and Xmas day itself. This is my 8th year watching it! Some of you must be wondering don’t you get bored watching the same drama over and over again? NO! Because every year, the production team will come out with different way of portraying the Xmas story.

So if you have nothing much to do other than counting down or watching movies again, why don’t join me on the dates stated above? I am quite sure you will enjoy it! :)

Before I end, enjoy your holiday and have a great time with your family and loved ones!!!

Latest Update

2009-12-03T22:43:00.001+08:00

Finally, I am back updating my blog after 2 months. I guess sometimes I am just too tired to write long paragraphs and then look for photos to insert into my blog entry. After all, blogging won’t be interesting without photos right?

Thus, these days I have decided to tweet more often. It is so convenient especially with my iphone. :) Anyway, brief update on what happened during these 2 months.

OCTOBER

I went to Korea for a holiday. I really enjoyed the scenery and the cool weather there. The only regret is that I was not able to shop much because this time we went with a tour group. :( I broke my lowest record, buying only 2 tops… For more updates on the trip, you can go to Em’s blog.

My favourite photo :)

NOVEMBER

Breakthrough month for me as I finally found a job! Though it is only a 6 months contract but I thank God for His provision. The remuneration is good and I fulfilled my dream of working in a foreign bank. Believing God that even before 6 months, there will be open doors to a perm position and pay increment :)

This month also started to be more discipline in various aspects of my life. Now, waiting up early in the morning to pray and jogging twice a week. I hope to participate in the Standard Chartered 10km marathon next year. Always remember what Pastor taught me, both spiritual and physical health are very important!

Life has been hectic but fruitful after I started work but I have learnt to plan and make full use of my time. Plan to further my studies so hopefully my next entry won’t be another 2 months later. :)

Wisdom Tooth Extraction

2009-10-01T16:46:00.001+08:00

I had my wisdom tooth extracted 2 days ago and before that, I had heard a lot of scary stories concerning the pain, discomfort and the amount of bleeding that will come with the surgery. Thank God, the pain I had was quite minimal.

I know many people tend to ask whether it is really necessary to remove our wisdom teeth. I mean, who would want to go through the pain and agony of the dentist twisting and drilling your tooth right. The answer I got from my dentist is that you should remove your wisdom tooth if any of these happens:

Crowding of the back teeth.

A wisdom tooth becoming stuck in the jaw (impacted) and never breaking through the gums.

Red, swollen, and painful gums caused by a flap of skin around a wisdom tooth that has only partially come in.

Gum disease and tooth decay in the wisdom tooth

Anyway, if you really have to extract your wisdom tooth, these are some tips that will help you to speed up your recovery. :)

Bite gently on the gauze pad periodically, and change pads every half and hour. Bleeding should stop after 24hrs (Don’t be surprised to see 1 full plastic bag of bloody gauze.)

Prop up your head with pillows to minimize bleeding.

To minimize swelling, you can apply ice pack on your cheek.

Based on what I have found out, you should eat ice-cream, yogurts, mashed potatoes or milk shake during the 1st 24 hrs (Good opportunity for those who are deprived of ice-cream. haha)

Do not use a straw for the first few days. Sucking on a straw can loosen the blood clot and delay healing.

After the first day, gently rinse your mouth with warm salt water several times a day to reduce swelling and relieve pain.

Continue to brush your teeth and tongue carefully. (This require great technique because you would not want to dislodge your blood clot.)

Wisdom tooth extraction is really not very scary except for some slight discomfort however, I must admit that it differs from different people. So if you really don’t want to visit the dentist so often and go through the “torture”, then make your teeth smile by taking good care of them. :)

Hooray!!! I am going to watch Formula 1, 2009!!!!

2009-09-26T12:28:00.001+08:00

Woohoo!! I managed to get 2 tickets to watch the qualifying race of 2009 Formula 1 courtesy of Edmund Tay. And the tickets are not just those walkabout passes but actually Turn 1 Grandstand tickets that cost $1388 each!!! Thank God and Edmund for the blessing!

My wife is very excited and she has been checking on the website on how to get there and the various programs for the day. Mmm… I thought car racing is a guy thing? Haha. Anyway, this is our first time watching F1 cars zooming straight in front of us. I guess it is going to be very noisy but an experience for us. :)

Online Date with Sun on 18 September

2009-09-17T11:18:00.001+08:00

For those who still do not know, our very own Sun has just released her latest single “Fancy Free” . You can catch the preview of the song at Amazon website and I am sure you will enjoy it!

On top of that, Sun will be having her 1st ever live-web chat on Facebook on 18 September at 11pm. So mark down on your calendar and don’t miss this opportunity to find out more about her!

If you have any burning questions, you can send all your questions to her at TWITTER.COM/MYNAMEISSUN.

Till then, enjoy and have a fruitful week!!

Tried KFC Breakfast???

2009-09-12T22:58:00.001+08:00

The very mention of McDonald’s Breakfast should ring a bell in us but certainly not KFC Breakfast. In fact, when Em suggested to have KFC breakfast, I don’t even know what they offer. Anyway, Em and I decided to give it a try.

I ordered the a.m Platter meal while Em went for Waffles & Eggs meal. Unlike all McDonald breakfast meals, the KFC Waffles & Eggs meal does not come with harsh brown. But of cos, the meal is much cheaper.

A.M Platter Meal

Waffles & Eggs Meal

Personally, I prefer McDonald’s hotcakes than KFC waffles. As for the platter meal, I think it is not bad and we love the honey biscuit. :) However, both the coffee and tea taste weird :( Or maybe it is just me. Haha

On the whole, I would give 3.5 out 5 for the platter meal and rating of 2 for the waffle meal.

Finally it came!!!

2009-09-10T22:32:00.001+08:00

This afternoon, I opened up one of the letters in my mailbox and this is what I received. It is the invitation card for my convocation and it is going to be on 8 October 2009, Thursday 10am – 1230pm at SIM Clementi Road :)

I have been looking forward to it and was wondering when it will come. In fact, when I attended Suting and Karen’s convocation 2 weeks ago, I was telling them mine should be coming soon.

Anyway, I am not so ecstatic over the convocation ceremony but this invitation card certainly brings to me the remembrance of God’s goodness upon my life this entire year. Read about my entry in February and you will know what I mean.

8 months have passed and I have not only graduated from SOT but also had the privilege to preach during the graduation ceremony. Also, I finally graduated from my degree programme despite a slight hiccup at the start of the year. I didn’t pass my CFA but I am going to give another shot.

Knowledge is power and I strongly believe in continuous learning. I am already contemplating about pursuing a masters degree in the next 1 or 2 years.

For my career, I am still waiting patiently but I know God will provide. It will come according to His timing and not mine and I just have to trust Him :)

Let me end this post with an interesting and encouraging quote:

“ Big shots are only little shots

who keep shooting”.

Christopher Morley

Blockbuster Sunday

2009-09-03T01:41:00.001+08:00

Mark down on your calendar so that you can join us on the 13th of this month for our “Blockbuster Sunday”!

Not only will you get to see your favourite movie characters but also win great prizes such as $100 capital voucher and movie passes and get to know many new friends!

So don’t hesitate anymore but come and join us for this fun-filled event!

SOT Graduation Dinner & SOT Service

2009-08-29T02:17:00.001+08:00

SOT Graduation Dinner

Another outdated post and I am sure many of you have read about my graduation service at my wife’s blog. Hehe… Anyway, prior to the graduation service, we had our graduation dinner at Keppel Club. We had our games, drama, food and not forgetting the Mr & Ms Charisma competition. It was a good gathering for all the students as SOT came to a close.

Photos…

With SOT 2009 Mr Charisma :)

More Photos…

SOT Graduation Service

Those that had been to my wife’s blog would know that I was given the opportunity to preach to about 8,000 people during the graduation service. More importantly, my mum came to church for the 1st time and I believe this is the first step of her coming to know God :) She even commented that the church is very big and nice.

Back to my preaching, actually I was very excited and nervous when I was selected to preach during graduation service. Behind the 7 minutes sermon is 3 nights of sleeplessness. Special thank goes to Pastor Bobby who sacrificed his sleep to guide me on my sermon and preaching. Also thank to my ZS, Edmund who really taught me how to preach ever since I became a leader.

Looking back, I never regretted the decision to quit my job to go SOT. I learnt a lot, experienced a lot and the love for God has increased ever more. Like what I had preached, the graduation is not the end, but the beginning of something new and exciting that God has prepared! Keep on keeping on!!!

Ending of with my favourite photo :)

Malang Mission Trip – Food Galore!!!

2009-08-29T01:39:00.001+08:00

My final entry on my Malang mission trip and as promised, it is about FOOD!!! I know my blog has been lagging behind. Sometimes I am just too lazy to blog and personally, I prefer to tweet than to blog as it is so much easier with my iphone. Nonetheless, hope you people don’t mind my outdated posts… hehe… I promise I will be more prompt in future.

1st day breakfast. This is not Nasi Lemak. I cant remember the name but it tastes awesome!!!

This is like rice mixed with herbal soup and the red and white syrup on the right is something you must try. It is called Soda Gembira (which is soda with condensed milk). Indonesian version of Bandung. Only difference is that it is fizzy!!!

On the top left hand corner is a famous Indonesian dish called Bakso. It is similar to Singapore’s Yong Tau Foo with ingredients like tofu, meatballs and vegetables but the soup is very rich and yummy!!! On the top right hand corner is Tehbotol, a bottled tea commonly found in Indonesia.

Personally, I love Indonesian food a lot. All the food taste great and we have no complaints. On our way back, we even bought back IndoMie. It tastes so much better than the Singapore’s version. :)

Malang Mission Trip – Day 2

2009-08-01T01:11:00.001+08:00

We wasted no time the next day as we got up early and went to minister in a church in the village. There was a mighty move of God and the presence of God was so strong that many cried as we laid hands on them.

After which, the Pastor invited us to his house to have lunch.

What Sandy was holding in her hand is a praise and worship album by the church. Small church but yet God can use ordinary people to do extraordinary things!!!

Group photo before we left for the next place.

Next up at Bethany which I was asked to teach the youth leaders on the caring system. After the session was over, we had Q&A which the youths really asked me a lot of questions. Thank God I was able to answer them. :)

Teaching the youth and ministry leaders in Bethany

Last session of the day which Weng Lok preached.

In summary, this is my first time on a mission trip and it was really a great experience. Pastor Ming always tell us in the bible school “If you want to go mission trip, go to those villages and countries that are poor.” Reason is because you get to preach and experience things not found in Singapore.

One thing I learnt from this mission trip is greater spiritual hunger for God. The people there did not have a lot of materials, great speakers and facilities we had in Singapore but yet it was always so easy for them to experience God. The moment they worship God, the presence of God will be so strong. They kneel and weep so easily simply because of the great love for Jesus.

Question I asked myself “Do I encounter God every single day?”

Malang Mission Trip – Day 1

2009-07-28T00:22:00.001+08:00

Sorry to those who have been waiting for the update of my mission trip to Malang. SOT is ending in 2 weeks time and I am rushing my assignments like crazy. Also, I have not been able to get of the photos until now. Anyway, will start blogging about it so enjoy! :)

All excited and ready to go!!!

How can we leave Singapore without eating Popeye first??

First thing that greeted us onboard the plane is 香港脚 (Hong Kong leg) It really STINKSS!!!!

Reached Surabaya and the team split into 2 with Delphine leading her team to Probolinggo while I led another to Malang

Reached Malang at about 3am in the morning. Then we started preparing for next day’s meetings until about 5am. Sermon preparation is hard work and now we truly understand how bless we are to have Pastor preaching to us new sermon every week.

Preaching on Radio!!

Night Session at Bethany

Back for more preparation!!! By the way, notice you don’t see any photos of us having our meals. We do eat and very good food somemore!!! So stay tuned for 1 special post on all the wonderful delicacies we ate in Indonesia. :)

Mission Possible

2009-07-10T01:25:00.001+08:00

In another 20 hours, I will be flying off to Malang for my 1st mission trip. Excited but nervous as well :)

I pray that God will move greatly in all the meetings and people there will be ministered to. So to all those who are reading my blog, please pray for my entire team.

Be back soon with more updates and great reports!

With God, All Things Are Possible!!!

De-Centralised Services

2009-07-08T10:25:00.001+08:00

During the de-centralised svc last week, I had the honour to be the hospitality personnel for Hagen Tan (more commonly known as 陈孟奇) Many thought he is a Taiwanese but he is actually a 100% Singaporean based in Taiwan.

Initially, I was very nervous as this was the first time I was asked to interact with a celebrity. But it went off very smoothly as he is very friendly and I managed to take a photo together with him. Hehe.

The de-centralised svc was a great success and my ZS, Edmund shared a great Word with many people saved. It was truly an experience and great to see many of our people rising up to new level.

Not Knowing What to Do During This Holiday??

2009-06-16T22:37:00.001+08:00

Not knowing what to do during your school holiday??

Why not join me at Cast Away Camp on 25th – 27 June 09.

There are a lot of fun-filled activities lined up just for YOU! Besides that, you will get to meet many new friends and win great prizes!!

So what are you waiting for?? Sign up NOWW!!!

Before I go, here is a short trailer. Enjoy!! :)

Birthday Celebration (Part 2)

2009-06-03T23:26:00.001+08:00

I was taking my shower when I heard “快点! 快点!”(it was actually Joycelyn’s hurrying the people) and steps of people running under my block. I thought it must be my neighbours at the nearby blocks quarrelling again. Anyway, it has been very common to heard people shouting and screaming in the middle of the night.

After shower, my usual habit is to go to the other room to hang my towel. And when I stepped into the room, suddenly a group of people started singing happy birthday in the dark room. I was taken aback and took a few steps back and hit my back against the door.

So it was some of my cg and zone members. They were all grinning and very happy to see me in a shock. I really was not expecting any more celebrations. Next, they got me to play treasure hunt game at my place. For the first time, I realised it is hard to find things at my house. Haha…

The Plotters

with the VICTIM!

More than the blessings received, this year’s birthday was made more memorable with this surprise! Thank guys for putting in the effort!

Birthday Celebration (Part 1)

2009-05-27T21:45:00.001+08:00

For those who thought I had quitted blogging, I am finally back after 2 weeks of absence. Sorry for not updating my blog frequently as I was busy with my examinations and assignments. Phew… Finally exam is over!!

Anyway, last week was my birthday and really enjoyed myself with celebrations after celebrations. First up, celebration with my family which is posted on my wife’s blog. Knowing that this year I am tight financially after quitting my job, they really sowed into my life with their generous giving so really want to say a

BIG THANK YOU!!!

to my parents, brother and sis-in-law.

My church friends always say that a birthday is never complete without a present but to me, a birthday is never complete without spending time with my loved one, that is my wife!! :) Want to know how we celebrate??? Check this post (Actually it saved me a lot of trouble as I do not need to blog about it… if not this yr, my birthday celebration will have part 1..2…3…4… haha)

Dear, thanks for planning such a wonderful birthday celebration. I really enjoy spending time with you. Also, I love the watch that you bought for me!!! Another watch to add to my collections.. hehe . Alright, enough of talking but here is what I received for my birthday

From family and zone members

From my wife (Nice Right!!)

From my cg (They really do read my blog. :P)

From zone members (More reasons to shop!)

From the leadersFrom Jared

That is all for part 1. Look out for part 2 as I shared how some of the zone members came and sprang a surprise on me. I was really caught unaware and was in a state of shock.

Confessions of a Shopaholic

2009-05-09T00:01:00.001+08:00

Em always say I am such a shopaholic and I do admit that I am “at times”. I remember when I was in Taiwan 2 months ago, I almost bought a tote bag from Porter International. However, it was expensive and more importantly I was not very sure I would carry this kind of bag because it looks quite girlish. Haha..

But recently, I realized tote bag is quite trendy and common among men in Singapore. So here comes the confession of a shopaholic: This bag is my NEXT TARGET!!!

I guess Em must have a lot to say after seeing this post. :)

Movie Review: X-Men Origins Wolverine

2009-04-30T22:01:00.001+08:00

Em and I went to watch the latest superhero movie “X-Men Origins Wolverine” and we were certainly not disappointed. Similar to other superhero movies, this movie is packed with action and excitement, mixed with a touch of romance and dry humour.

My wife, someone who does not really fancy action movie, actually commented that the movie is nice! Thus, do not miss this movie if you are a big fan of superheroes.

Before I go, this is my rating for this movie – 3.5 out of 5.

Team 22 Off To The Zoo

2009-04-29T00:24:00.001+08:00

Been a long long time since I went to Singapore Zoological Garden that I can’t remember even when. Anyway, having being in the bible school for 1 month, some of us have decided to organise an outing to bring our foreign students around Singapore. We decided on the Zoo and thanks to Delphine that we managed to get 50% off the entrance fee. It was really a good deal as each of us paid only $9 dollars. :) These are some photos that we took.

It was fun and many of us are looking forward to the next outing. So stay tuned for more happenings in SOT team 22 which I consider the BEST TEAM!!! :)

Full-Time Student

2009-04-28T00:13:00.001+08:00

When I was in my secondary school years, I always hope I can step into the working environment as soon as possible because I felt that studying is such a chore and terrible experience. However, when I started working, I realized studying is still so much better as you have more free time to yourself.

Now, I am enjoying every second of being a full-time student. But as examinations and assignment due dates are approaching, I am breaking out in cold sweats. Just look at those books that I need to cover in the next 3 months…

But I learnt in SOT today.

“What is the difference between us and Michael Phelps (the famous US Olympic swimmer)"?

Ans: DISCIPLINE

So let me tell you these are what discipline means to me.

1. Discipline is me spending less time on TV and Computer and spending more time studying.

2. Discipline is me reading the books during my journey on the buses and trains and not napping.

3. Discipline is me planning how many chapters I want to cover each day and sticking to it.

4. Discipline is me really sitting down and start studying.

For those who are also mugging, let’s keep on studying diligently! Tell yourself examinations will be ending in 1 – 2 months time. :)

Tuition Lab

2009-04-14T15:55:00.001+08:00

Quitting my job to go bible school means I got to start looking for other sources of income. So I decided to revive Tuition Lab which was founded by Jun Er many years back. :)

Look at the flyers that I have redesigned.

So if you know of anyone who is looking for tutors, pls recommend to Tuition Lab. Also if you are interested to be a tutor, you can email the under mentioned particulars to tuitionlab@gmail.com. Do indicate to us if are a CHC member.

1. Name:
2. Age:
3. Gender:
4. Contact no:
5. All Subjects and Level you are able to teach:
6. Locations you can travel to for assignment:
7. Highest Qualification:
8. Yrs of Experience/ Details of experience:

What are you doing this Good Friday weekend???

2009-04-09T19:00:00.001+08:00

What are you doing this Good Friday weekend? Why not join me at Singapore Expo for the “The Final Solution”, a drama produced exclusively by the CHC Drama Team.

We have a total of 9 services in 2 different locations so I am sure you and your loved ones can find the time to go for it.

Friday, Apr 10

1 Jurong West St 91: 1pm & 3.30pm

Singapore Expo Hall 8: 5:30pm & 8pm

Saturday, Apr 11

1 Jurong West St 91: 3:30pm

Expo Hall 8: 5.30pm & 8pm

Sunday, Apr 12

Expo Hall 8: 10am & 12.30pm

So what are you waiting for?? Hurry down and I am sure you will have an unforgettable Easter!!

SOT Wk 1 cum Morning PM

2009-04-04T01:09:00.001+08:00

SOT has finally commenced and what a way to kick start it together with morning prayer meetings. In order to reach church on time, I had to wake up at 430am in the morning to catch the 1st bus. Physically, many of us were tired but spiritually we were very refreshed. It always feel good seeking the face of God in the morning!!

The 1st day of SOT was the orientation and part of the orientation programme was to come up with a 3mins drama and a cheer. It was fun as the entire team started preparing, with some going through their scripts, putting on makeup and thinking of various ways to improvise the drama. Our objective was clear: TO WIN!!!

We did our best but it was not enough to win the orientation. However, all of us really enjoyed the fun and laughter together. The rest of the week were lessons by Pastor Derek, teaching us about the Holy Spirit. And every morning, Pastor will move powerfully in the Spirit. I was so touched by the presence of God daily and just can’t stop weeping at times. God once again reminded me how near He can be to all of us.

Team 22 of SOT 2009

Pastor Kong Blogs…

2009-03-23T22:55:00.001+08:00

Pastor Kong always speak to us about staying relevant to the society and one of the ways to stay relevant must be being more IT-savvy. Not only does our very own Pastor has a facebook account and twitter account, now he BLOGS as well…

Despite his busy schedule travelling around the world, Pastor still manage to update and reply to messages regularly. It really inspires me to update my blog frequently and more importantly enlarge my capacity to do more for God. :)

Before I go, this is the URL of Pastor Kong’s blog: www.konghee.com/blog. I am sure you will enjoy the entries there!!

Shopping Guide in Taiwan

2009-03-20T00:38:00.001+08:00

Other than food, the next good thing about Taiwan must be the shopping. I love to shop and I know this is quite unusual for a guy. But it feels good when you wear something nice. I believe it is the same for most people. Anyway, cut the story short, I am going to introduce you to a few places in Taiwan where you can shop for cheap and nice things.

Hotspot #1 – Shilin Night Market

Em and I simply love this place. We went there 4 times to shop for both our friends and ourselves. The streets are easy to navigate and most importantly, the clothes sold there are trendy, fashionable and affordable. Em went to this shop called “Diva” and bought some very nice dresses. As for me, I bought quite a number of T-shirts, vest and a leather jacket. Hehe =). In our opinion, this is the place not to be missed!!

Hotspot #2 – Ximending

This place is like the Far East Plaza of Singapore. We saw many Taiwanese youths there. Shops there are modern. However, things here are not cheap. Em and I enjoyed walking through the streets but it can get quite confused and you might just lose your way. So do bring a map along.

Hotspot #3 – Wu Fen Pu

This is where the wholesale retail is. You will see the clothes all put in big clear plastic bags. A lot of female clothes so it will be quite a disappointment for guys. The entire area is like a maze and the roads are narrow thus Em and I did not really enjoy shopping here. Moreover, we realised that some of the things sold here are more expensive than Shilin Night Market despite being exactly the same.

To sum it up, we enjoyed shopping at Shilin market the most. However, this is quite subjective as I have heard of people preferring Wu Fen Pu or Ximending. In any case, the most important is finding something that really suits you :)

Yummy Taiwan Food

2009-03-16T22:50:00.001+08:00

Just came back from Taiwan on Saturday night. I was not able to update my blog as there was no internet access throughout my stay there. Anyway, the trip was a good break for both Em and I. We thoroughly enjoyed it with all the eating, shopping and sightseeing.

Em will share about our day to day expedition on her blog while I will kick start the Must-Try “YUMMMYYY” Food that we had in Taiwan. :)

Must-Try #1 – Shilin Chicken Cutlet

Location: Shilin Night Market

Price: $NT50 aka S$2.30

Why You Must Try: Crispy, Huge, Juicy and CHEAPP!!!!

Must-Try #2 – Pepper Bun

Location: Rao He Night Market

Price: $NT50 aka S$2.30

Why You Must Try: Tasty, Piping Hot and Unique

Must-Try #3 – Fried Mushroom

Location: Dan Shui

Price: $NT50 aka S$2.30

Why You Must Try: DELICIOUS!!!

Must-Try #4 – Ah Zhong Mian Xian

Location: Ximending

Price: $NT40 aka S$1.80

Why You Must Try: One of the best mian xian I ever tasted!

These are just some of the few local delicacies that we ate. There are many more. Just look at the photos below and you will know. Enjoy!!!

Here We Come Taiwan!!!

2009-03-06T09:56:00.001+08:00

Em and I will be flying off to Taiwan for a short holiday. This is our 2nd trip overseas after our honeymoon last year and we are very excited. There will be lots of eating and shopping :)

Also, we will be going to New Life Church and we realised that our very own Pastor Kong will be there as guest speaker. Hopefully, we can take photos with him.

Meanwhile, stay tuned for more updates!

Mass Visa Dance

2009-03-01T18:30:00.001+08:00

Recently, my wife and her cg, N416 went to Changi Airport for lunch and was asked to do the Visa dance. She showed me the video and I think it was really funny.

Then suddenly, I thought why don’t I use it as one of the forfeit for cg games. So I went to download the music and this is what my members did for their forfeit… It was really funny and there were full of laughter.

Not satisfied with just 4 people dancing, I decided to do a mass cg dance. Just look at the video below. :-)

IL Piccolo

2009-02-24T06:55:00.001+08:00

My wife is like a walking makan sutra because she seems to know where all the good food are. That is why when it comes to deciding on where to have our meals, I will always leave it to her.

There was this day which we were going home after work. Then she said: “Why don’t we have pasta for dinner”. I was thinking that she must be talking about the new Pasta Mania that just opened at Hougang Mall.

In the end, she brought me to this stall called “IL Piccolo” located at a coffee shop near Hougang Central. On a closer look, I realised that this food stall has been featured on Channel U before and prices are quite economical. I thought the food should be quite good since they are featured on TV.

We ordered one pizza and one carbonara pasta and waited for about 10mins before the food were served.

Here is the verdict from the food critics :) Both Em and I felt that the pasta was moderate and we gave a rating of 6/10. As for the pizza, we felt that it was not bad and rated it 7.5/10. So if you are interested to try it out, they are located at the Kopitiam behind Hougang Plaza.

1st Miracle of SOT

2009-02-23T00:40:00.001+08:00

After a long struggle, I finally decided to inform my parents that I had quitted my job to enrol in SOT. I expected my parents to be furious, upset and have violent objection over my decision especially from my mum.

However, when the day came, they didn’t say much except telling me that they are fine as long as I know what I am doing. I was surprised but once again, I witnessed how the power of God move in my family.

Besides having their approval to go bible school, my mum passed me a cheque.

Even before I start bible school, God already start providing. And I believe this is only the beginning so stay tuned for more updates of God’s miracles in the coming months!!!

Mini Art Gallery

2009-02-17T00:44:00.001+08:00

There is this stretch of wall that Em and I have wanted to put up the signing boards for our wedding and maybe paintings to create a mini art gallery at home. However, it is a tedious process as we need to buy the paintings, frame them all up and then get someone to come and drill all the holes on the wall.

Finally after 10 months of procrastination, we finally got everything up.

I personally feel that the house now looks nicer and more classy with the paintings. Anyway, special thanks to Adriel, Eunice and Uncle Daniel for helping us to put up all the paintings.

Valentine’s Day

2009-02-17T00:21:00.001+08:00

Been a while since I last blog as I was busy rushing my assignment and falling sick quite frequently these few weeks. Really got to start looking for tips to take care of my body.

Anyway, a happy belated Valentine’s Day to all couples. Hope all you have done something special for your loved ones :) Em and I decided to go Central’s Manhattan Fish Market on Valentine’s Day eve for our Valentine’s dinner. We ordered the “Manhattan Seafood Platter for Two” which consists of fish fillet, oysters and prawns served with chips and garlic rice. It was YUMMY!!!

After dinner, somehow the shopping bug got to me so I wanted to walk around the shopping mall. This is our conversation…

Me: Dear, why don’t we walk around the shopping mall since we are so full?

Em: Huh? Shopping again even when we are out on Valentine’s date (You can see that my wife is very sharp. Straight away she knows that I probably want to shop again… haha)

Me: No lah… I just want to go to freshbox and take a look only.

Em: Ok lah…. (Grudgingly but yet she accommodated me. Hehe)

So in the end I went into Freshbox and started trying out polo-tees and shorts can came out with…

I chose this but Em paid for it. It is a gift for Valentine’s Day. THANK YOU DEAR!!! :)

On actual Valentine’s Day itself, both of us stayed at home as I need to rush my assignment and Em prepared all these

Sumptuous Dinner

Chocolate fondue!!! (The drinks you see here are not champaign. They are actually honey drink)

To my dearest and lovely wife – I really enjoy and appreciate your cooking and the desert you have prepared. More importantly, I love you and thanks for always being there for me :)

As for what I did for Em, pls wait for her blog entry HERE.

A Challenging Yr Ahead

2009-02-04T01:30:00.001+08:00

Last week I received news that I have not graduated from my degree programme as I did not complete one compulsory module. This is despite me completing all the required credits for graduation.

It is going to be a long story if I were to blog about it. But anyway, I appealed to the school but the decision stays so that means I am back to school again for 1 more semester.

It was a major setback for me. And to be frank, it took me a while to get over it. Gradually, I decided that there is no point being angry and disappointed. I just have to be positive and move on.

So this year looks to be more challenging, with me quitting my job to enrol for 4 and half months of bible school. At the same time, I will be self-studying for my CFA exam in June and finishing up my last semester in UniSIM. Also, I have to quickly source for tuition assignments to finance my SOT and daily expenses.

My boss questioned me whether this is the right time to quit my job and enrol in SOT as the economy is doing so badly. The market is so uncertain that she warned me that I might not even be able to find a job after I graduate in August.

However, going to bible school has always been on my mind. This year I am even more determined in my heart. It is about getting myself trained and equipped not just as a christian but also as a marketplace personnel in future.

It is a gigantic step of faith for me but I believe that God will provide and show Himself to be true in the next 6 months.

I love to visualize and if you were to ask me what I will see in 6 months time. I can tell you these are the things…

1. Graduation from SOT

2. Graduation from UniSIM

3. Pass my CFA level 1

4. New job with 30% increment from my current salary when I gradute from SOT in August.

Pls pray and dream together with me!

Chinese "Niu" Year 2009 - Part B

2009-01-31T20:43:00.001+08:00

My wife and I went to watch 2 movies during CNY and they are none other than Jack Neo’s “Love Matters and “The Wedding Game”. After watching the 2 movies, we have contrasting views on which is nicer.

Personally, I feel “Love Matters” is funnier and more meaningful as it tells of love, happiness and issues concerning our straight laced society.

As for “The Wedding Game”, like what I told my wife, it is about Christopher Lee and Fann Wong. Haha!! So if you have not watched these 2 CNY movies, here are the trailers…

Before I go, more photos for CNY 2009

Chinese "Niu" Year 2009 - Part A

2009-01-29T21:55:00.021+08:00

Before CNY

One of the reasons why I enjoy CNY so much is that it is always a time which my wallet gets replenished. But this year, it is different :( We have to start blessing others. I was telling Em that now I understand why there are people who choose to go overseas during CNY. Haha..

Reunion Dinner

All the food are prepared single-handedly by my mum. Amazing right!! I think she is the best chef in the world. Look at the "yam ball" in the middle. It is one of the hot favourite!!

1st Day of CNY

We are all ready to GO!!!

We went to quite a number of places on day 1 and by the end of the day, we were all physically tired. However, we still went ahead with our annual must-do activity for CNY which is to catch a movie. Will blog more about it again so stay tuned for part B of Joe's CNY 2009 :)

The Last Lap

2008-11-14T00:15:00.007+08:00

Finished my last paper for my degree programme this morning. I ought to be very happy and celebrating but it was not to be. The paper was quite difficult and I started to doubt whether I will clear this last hurdle in one month's time.

This semester is unlike other semester. During previous semesters, even when the examinations were difficult, I will still be able to convince myself that I will eventually do well. Maybe this is the last lap and usually when it comes to the last lap, it is harder for you to swallow a defeat.

As I looked back my last 3 years at UniSIM, it was a journey full of tears and bruises, having to manage studies, work, ministry and family. I am no Superman and in the last 3 years I do gave up certain things to pursue my degree. At times, I felt like giving up but it was really God that encourages and help me to pull through.

I am counting on God again this time. Like what the bible says "With God, all things are possible!" After all, when Pastor Kong got us to write one desire in our heart during Arise & Build, I wrote to complete my degree programme this year. I just need to stir up my faith, start believing, confessing and visualising!

What do I see in one month's time?? This is what I see....

Madrid

2008-08-30T11:51:00.002+08:00

Madrid is our 3rd stop, am posting it here first cos the Barcelona album is massive and too many for me to caption right now. Madrid is the capital of Spain and a charming lovely city. However, it really pales in comparison with the life and vibrancy of Barcelona, which we love. Check out the photos below and two videos on a very lively flamenco performance we watched in Madrid.

Flamenco! from Emily Ong on Vimeo.

Junior Flamenco from Emily Ong on Vimeo.

Paris

2008-08-24T23:15:00.003+08:00

Hi guys, have posted our honeymoon pics online but haven't had the time to caption all of the pics. Shall do it one at a time, starting with our first stop Paris. Check out the slide show below. If you click on the yellow icon on the left, you can link to the actual album online and read the captions we have meticulously added for your added pleasure and information. =)

Granada is very hot!!

2008-07-20T23:51:00.006+08:00

Hee, instead of Barcelona part 2, we are moving ahead to talk about the last leg of our trip, Granada. We are staying at a really charming B&B called Casa del Aljarife. The room is huge and the toilet is a separate room on its own! I think our previous hotel rooms were the size of this toilet! Btw, the temperature here is HOT! Today´s 41 degrees... you thought Singapore´s hot but here´s hotter! Okie.. gotta go first cos someone needs to use the internet.. try to update again later!

The top left corner shows our room, it has two plush arm chairs we just plonk down at the end of the day and stare out to the Alhambra. In case you din know, pple flock to Granada to see the Alhambra. It's a fascinating and really beautiful place. At the bottom of the pic you see the entrance to the room which we have to walk a short flight of steps to reach. On the right, you see the courtyard where we have our breakfast every morning. The owner of the B&B always greets us with a "Good Morn......ing" when we go down for breakfast =)

On the top left, you can see the view out of one of the windows. The brownish red tower is part of the Alhambra. At the bottom and right, you can see how big our toilet is!

Really really had a great time at the B&B and we have to thank our host, Christian Most, for being so hospitable and friendly. He's a German that has been living in Granada for the past 12 years. He shared with us that he studied in Granada for a year in his younger days and then came back, bought the place, set up the B&B and has been living in Granada since.

City of Barcelona - Part 1

2008-07-15T07:05:00.010+08:00

It is 1am in Barcelona now and Em is soundly asleep. Since there is nothing much to do and I am not really sleepy, I decide to blog about our stay in Barcelona so far. This is our 3rd day here and we have 1 more day to go before we move on to Madrid. To all the soccer fanatics, it should sound familiar to you as it is where the famous club Real Madrid FC is. Anyway, let me tell you more about Barcelona first.

1st Day
The moment we reached our hotel at Barcelona, Em suggested that we go and try out authentic spanish food. The hotel reception recommended us to this particular bar and we tried out the "Tapas". I tell you it was YUMMY!!

2nd Day
For breakfast, we dropped by this cafe near our hotel. This is what we had for our morning breakfast =)

For the rest of the day, we went around exploring the city of Barcelona and these are some of the highlights.

Sagrada Familia
This is my favourite so far. A massive Roman Catholic church that is still under construction since 1882!! It is designed by Antoni Gaudi, a famous Catalan architect. This building is truly a masterpiece. Just look at the picture and you will understand.

Nou Camp Stadium
Our next stop is the home ground of FC Barcelona, the Nou Camp stadium that can accomodate about 100,000 spectators. Both Em and I are definitely not a big fan of Barcelona but I was thinking how can we miss out on the biggest stadium in Europe when we are in Spain. As a result, we decided to pay a visit. Hehee.. I wanted to take photo with the Champions League trophy but it turns out that we need to pay if we want to. Smart way to make money I must say!!

After the stadium, we went to a few more tourist attractions. It was tiring but enjoyable to see new things. I guess both Em and I enjoyed Barcelona more than Paris. More things to see, more to eat and definitely more to shop =) We will update on Part 2 soon so stay tuned while I get some sleep before hitting the streets of Barcelona again.

Hola...!!!

2008-07-13T14:10:00.005+08:00

Hola everyone, this is Joe & Em blogging from the city of Barcelona. We know many of you have been waiting for the updates on our honeymoon. Sorry for the delay as we do not have any internet access in Paris. Anyway, Paris is a beautiful city with a lot of museums. We went to a few and I was commenting where on earth did they get so many paintings?!

Below is our first meal in Paris... You can see that we were real hungry by looking at my greedy look. A lot of bread & crepes here. This plate of crepes that you see here costs us EURO$10 which is equivalent to about S$22!! I tell you we miss SINGAPORE FOOD!!!!

On the 3rd day, we went to the much anticipated Disneyland!! It was huge and there are a lot of fun rides there. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! The apple you see below is known as "Toffee Apple" and it was highly recommended by Edmund & Minghui. It was nice but after an hour of continuously licking the apple, we still couldn't finish it and gave up!

That's all folks for the update. It is 8:30am in Barcelona now and we are going out for more sighseeing and shopping. By the way, Zara, Mango, Springfield and Camper is real cheap here. Last night, we went Zara which was having summer sales, and their formal shirts were selling for 20 euros each, that is about S$45! Can't wait to do more shopping!!

Hasta luego! (See you later!)

Singapore Flyer

2008-06-11T02:17:00.003+08:00

I realised that it has been a long time since I blogged as I was just too busy. My SIM examinations ended 2 weeks ago, had my housewarming 3 days ago and I just came back from Camp Phenomena 1 hr ago!! Nonethless I had a great time in the camp =)

Like what Em has said in her blog that she does not know where to start blogging, I share the same sentiment as her. So let me just start with my birthday celebration 3 weeks ago. This year Em and I decided to check out the SINGAPORE FLYER since we won a pair of tickets in a lucky draw. We went to Esplanade first to enjoy a sumptuous japanese lunch before strolling slowly towards the flyer. at catch the 7pm ride. We were filled with excitement and anticpation to sit on the largest ferris wheel in the world and enjoy the spectacular views of the Singapore skyline.

I must say that the ride was very smooth that during some points, we did not even feel that it was moving. The night scenary was breathtaking and we took quite a number of photos. However, we soon became bored of the ride. Seriously, think about this: "How many different photos can you take in that half and hour?" In conclusion, my rating for the Singapore Flyer is 3 out of 5. I guess for Singaporeans, you will not take the ride more than once. 1 is enough given the price for single adult is $29.50 =P

Office Joke

2008-04-23T23:31:00.001+08:00

Recently, I was tasked by my boss to organise our monthly birthday celebration. This time round, my boss wants more interaction between the colleagues rather than just take the food and go back to their own seats. As such, she wants us to go and search and screen video about office so that the people can all sit down together to watch something. I went online and found this. It is extremely funny!! Hope you enjoy it as well.. haha

Completion of Love Nest!!!

2008-04-13T14:47:00.000+08:00

The renovation of our love nest is finally completed. In fact, I have been using the place for my cg meeting. Many people have been asking Em and I how the house looks like so I have taken some photos.

The top left hand corner shows the walkway from the main door. This is where we are going to put some paintings to create a small art gallery. =). On the right is our full height shoe cabinet. Or I should say Em's full height shoe cabinet. Haha

Clockwise from the top left hand: 1. Master bedroom toilet, 2. Relaxation cum CG Mtg room, 3. Study room, 4. Master bedroom.

Clockwise from the top left hand: 1. Walk-In Wardrobe, 2. Common toilet, 3. Kitchen.

By the way, the actual preview or so called house warming will be on 7th (Family & Friends) and 8th June (Church Friends) 08. We decided to have our house warming before wedding to save up the hassle of planning another big event after our wedding. After wedding, we feel it would be good to really enjoy ourselves. =) And for those who are coming with gifts for our house warming, you might want to ask us what we need or bless us with either cash or capital land vouchers. Reasons being we have heard so many scary stories about houses being stored with many ovens or fans after house warming. We do not want our house to become warehouse after that. =P

New ERP gantries catch some motorists by surprise

2008-04-11T16:10:00.000+08:00

I was browsing through website of channelnewasia when I saw this piece of article "New ERP gantries catch some motorists by surprise". Apparently, 5 new ERP gantries were activated on Monday and there were some motorists who were not aware of it.

So what they did was to stop in the middle of the road to insert their CashCards while other got off the car. Can you imagine how dangerous it is going to be especially for the cars behind them. It could have caused a major chain accident. Anyway, apart from that, I realized it is getting more and more expensive to drive in Singapore. For the past 6 months, we have seen the increase of petrol prices, the no. of COEs being cut down and now the gradual introduction of ERPs into the heartlands. All these contribute to the high cost of maintaining a car. So do you really know what are the costs involved to maintain your dream Ferrari and Porsche? Let me show you =)

Road Tax (Close to $1000 every 6 months)
Radio Licence Fee (Unless you don't want to have a radio in your car)
Petrol (Average $90 for full tank)
Parking (Season Parking at HDB is about $65 per month while CBD is $250 per month)
Insurance
Maintenance (Your car needs to see a doctor once in a while as well)
ERP (More gantries and higher rates. You definitely won't miss it. haha)

Please be mindful that all these costs are recurring which means you will need to pay again as long as you keep driving your car. As for the detailed calculation, it really depends on your usage because many listed here are variable costs. So better think twice before you buy a car!

Before I go, here are some pictures of my dream car =)

TeeVee - LCD or Plasma???

2008-04-03T14:37:00.000+08:00

Part of getting ready to move into a new house after wedding will be buying all the necessary furnishings. I have been doing some research on the electronics that Em and I are getting for our new house and one of the items have to be what is common in everyone's home - TV! If you were to walk around the electronics stores like Harvey Norman, Best Denki and Courts, you would realized that in there are just too many models of TV for you to choose.

One of the most commonly asked question by potential TV buyer is "Should I get a Plasma or LCD TV"? To cut the long story short about these two competing technologies, I will just highlight the key points here:

Color Accuracy - Winner: Plasma

In plasma displays, each pixel contains red, green, and blue elements, which work in conjunction to create 16.77 million colors. Insofar as each pixel contains all the elements needed to produce every color in the spectrum, color information was more accurately reproduced with plasma technology than it was with other display technologies. The chromaticity coordinates were more accurate on most plasma displays. Though the color saturation resulting from the pixel design of plasma displays is remarkable, LCD technology has nearly caught plasma in gray scaling color accuracy. Plasma continues to exhibit more richness in color information and more natural coloration.

Viewing Angle - Winner: Plasma

Plasma manufacturers have made much of their 160° viewing angles, which is about as good as horizontal and vertical viewing angles get.

LCD TV manufacturers have done much to improve their displays' viewing angles. Given more time, they should be able to catch on plasma in this area. However, the clear winner right now is still plasma.

Fast-Moving Video Playback - Winner: Plasma

Plasma gets the nod here because of their excellent performance with fast-moving images and high contrast levels. While the "response time" of LCD TVs has markedly improved in the last couple of years, they still suffer from a slight "trailer" effect, during fast moving sports scenes, the most discerning eyes can detect this slight motion response lag. Thus, if you are a football fan like me, maybe it is better to get plasma. =)

Longevity - Winner: Draw

LCD television manufacturers claim that their displays last, on average, 50,000 to 65,000 hours, while plasma manufacturers state a new half life of 60,000 hours. These claims are hypothetical thus one could argue that there is no clear winner in this category.

Power Consumption - Winner: LCD

LCDs require less power to operate than plasmas do. They consume about half the power that plasma displays consume. It ensures that your electrical bills will stay affordable. =)

Price & Resolution - Winner: LCD

In comparison to plasma, LCD TV has a higher resolution per same size. Pricing wise, LCDs prices have been dipping. This is one of the reasons why you see more LCDs than plasma out there at the electronics stores.

As we can see, both LCDs and plasma have their strengths so it is really up to your preference. That's all folks! Hope it helps if you are thinking of buying a TV like me.

Finally!!!

2008-04-02T17:02:00.000+08:00

Finally!!! After months of procrastination, this blog is finally up. Special thanks to Clarence for helping me with the settings. I realized that I have returned all the computing skills that I learnt during my poly days. Many might not know but I actually used to have a blog. It survived for a few months before school work caught up on me and I gradually stop updating it.

I hope to update this blog as regularly as possible and use it to share my thoughts and inspirations to those who are viewing it. Hopefully, YOU will be BLESSED! In closing, just to share of what I have learnt recently and that is:

DECISIVENESS IS THE KEY TO CHANGE

And that was the reason why my blog is finally up and going...!! =)